The name of a country and of its people. It was one of the sixteen Mahájanapadas. The inhabitants appear to have consisted of several confederate clans of whom the Licchaví and the Videhá were the chief.
A passage in the Commentaries (e.g., DA.ii.519) - which states that among those responsible for the administration of justice in the Vajji country (see Licchaví) were the Atthakulaká - has given rise to the conjecture that Atthakulaká meant heads of eight clans composing the Vajjian confederacy. There is no other evidence regarding the number of the clans. The Atthakulaká were probably a judicial committee.
As time went on the Licchaví became the most powerful of these clans (Licchaví Vajjiratthavásíhi pasatthá) (E.g., MA.i.394), and the names Vajjí and Licchaví were often synonymous. See Licchaví; in the Trikandasesa, quoted by Cunningham (AGI. 509), Licchavi, Vaideha and Tirabhukti were synonymous. In one passage (A.iii.76) the Licchavi, Mahánáma, seeing that a band of young Licchavis who had been out hunting were gathered round the Buddha, is represented as saying, "These Licchavis will yet become Vajjians" (bhavissanti Yajjí). This probably only means that there was great hope of these young men becoming true Vaijians, practising the seven conditions of welfare taught by the Buddha, conditions which ensured their prosperity. But see G. S.iii.62, n.1 and 3.
Vesáli was the capital of the Licchavis and Mithilá of the Videhas. In the time of the Buddha, both Vesáli and Mithilá were republics, though Mithilá had earlier been a kingdom under Janaka.
In the time of the Buddha, and even up to his death, the Vajjians were a very prosperous and happy community. The Buddha attributed this to the fact that they practiced the seven conditions of welfare taught to them by himself in the Sárandada Cetiya. The details of this teaching, and various other matters connected with the Vajji, are given under Licchaví. But soon after the Buddha's death, (three years after the Buddha's last visit to Vesáli, according to Buddhaghosa, DA.ii.522) Ajátasattu, with the help of his minister Vassakára, sowed dissension among the Vajjians and conquered their territory.
The Buddha travelled several times through the Vajjian country, the usual route being through Kosala, Malla, Vajji, Kási, Magadha, and thus back (See, e.g., S.v.348), and he preached to the people, mostly in the Kútágárasálá in Vesáli. Among other places besides Vesáli visited by the Buddha, are mentioned Ukkácelá, Kotigáma (see, e.g., J.ii.232, where it is called a village of the Vajjians, on the Ganges), Nádiká (in which were Gińjakávasatha and Gosingasálavana), Beluvagáma (or Veluvagáma), Bhandagáma, Bhogagáma and Hatthigáma. Pubbavijjhana, the birthplace of Channa, is also mentioned as a village of the Vajjians (S.iv.59). The Vaggumudá river flowed through Vajjian territory (Ud.iii.3).
In one context (UdA., p. 382) Dhammapála describes Udena as Vajjirájá. This is probably a mistake, for nowhere is Udena, who was king of the Vatsas (or Vamsas), called the king of the Vajjis. The Vajjí are mentioned in the Mahánáradakassapa Játaka. It is significant that the first great schism in the Buddhist Order arose in Vajji, when the Vajjiputtaká brought forward their Ten Points. Even during the Buddha's lifetime some monks of Vajji joined Devadatta (Vin.ii.199f).
According to Hiouen Thsang, (Beal: op. cit., 77) who visited it, the Vajji (Vriji) country was broad from east to west and narrow from north to south. The people of the neighbouring countries were called Samvajji, or United Vajjis. For details see Cunningham, AGI. 512ff.
The Commentaries contain a mythical account of the origin of the name Vajjí. See Licchaví.